I have the base game and only the Free Time expansion. I've been playing for a few years, but I kept thinking there was no point getting all the expansions when it's such an old game, surely I would lose interest in it and move on. That hasn't happened, and now I've discovered the joys of custom content which has given me a whole new burst of interest in playing! Now I'm wishing my sims could do all the other fun things like drive their own cars and grow food.

I've read that you should install the expansions in order, but that's when installing everything from scratch. Can I add earlier expansions to my current game? Or will that destroy my hood, and I should instead revert to the backup from before Free Time - a couple of sim generations ago? I don't want to have to give up my current families and all their history.

The expansions I'm most interested in are Nightlife and Seasons; I don't think I really need the rest. Is it safe to install them and keep playing my hood? Would I need to start with the base game and install Nightlife and Seasons and then re-add Free Time? Of course I'd back everything up properly before trying anything.

You can just install them, in my experience. The Seasons hood (Riverblossom Hills) and the functions of the ep's should simply be added to your game.
Make a backup of your hood, just to be sure.

You can install in any order really. Why not go over to Origin and ask for the UC? (Ultimate Collection) All EP's, all Sp's for free.

Also sims 2 is the best sims game- and many of us play it.

I certainly recommend getting the UC - it is free, and Origin still gives it out. I use it myself!

If you get UC you must first uninstall your Sims 2 game from your last EP/SP first to the base game being last.

Make sure to get a back up of your hoods and your downloads first though.

Thanks, everyone!

I did hear that Origin would still give out the UC to anyone who owned the base game, even after the special expired, but I couldn't figure out how to contact them about it. I had a "live help chat" window sitting open for hours and nothing ever happened. Is it best to email them?